Ever since the buzzer sounded in Game 5 against the Boston Celtics about a month ago, which started a crucial offseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers, minutes after the game ended, The Athletic dropped a piece that cast a net of uncertainty around the Cavs organization for the offseason. The piece raised questions about the team’s core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley at the forefront.
Since then, the Cavs have fired J.B. Bickerstaff and hired Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson as the franchise’s next head coach. They also drafted California forward Jaylon Tyson with the 20th pick in the NBA Draft. Now, with free agency set to begin, the Cavs will shift their focus to improving their roster, with Mitchell and Mobley expected to sign lucrative extensions at some point this week.
With that being said, what would a successful offseason be for the Cavaliers? They have needs they need to address, so here is what a perfect offseason would be for the Wine and Gold:
1. Extend Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley
Cavs'Mitchell and Mobley are the two most important players for the Cavs future, so locking them both down to lucrative extensions this offseason should be their number one priority.
Cleveland gave up a lot to get Mitchell in 2022 and he has enjoyed the two best seasons of his career in the Wine and Gold. This past season, Mitchell averaged 26 points per game on 46 percent shooting and 37 percent from three-point range. He also averaged a career-high in assists and embraced the point guard role when Darius Garland missed almost two months with a broken jaw. Mitchell also had one of the best defensive seasons of his career, as he was near the top of the guard position in steals, deflections, and loose balls recovered.
Mitchell is eligible for a four-year, $208 million contract. Most recently, reports suggest that the deal will be complete at the onset of free agency.
As for Mobley, he had an up-and-down third season that included almost two months of missed action due to knee surgery and then another couple of weeks of absence due to an ankle injury. However, when he played, he was still one of the league’s best defensive players and he showed it in the playoffs, particularly against Orlando where he shut down Paolo Banchero.
Where Mobley showed growth though, was on the offensive end of the floor, as against the Celtics he averaged 21 points and nine rebounds per game, including a 33-point outburst in Game 5. This was without Jarrett Allen in the lineup. His ascension on that end of the floor is key and with development guru Kenny Atkinson now the head coach, Mobley can become a complete offensive player.